Oct 30 Emory-Month Two

This may sound terrible, but here's some truth--I was so excited for Emory to get a little older. Our first month was hard! It seemed like everyone kept telling us 'it gets easier' but I couldn't imagine it getting easier. We were exhausted, sleep deprived, and scared. John and I would snap at each other over minuscule things because our world had turned upside down, I kept thinking 'how are we going to get through this?' If you're in that first month, I understand what you're going through--and I promise, it does get easier.

Right around when Emory was a month old, I feel like we really started to hit our stride and everything just felt so much more comfortable when it came to taking care of the baby. Plus, his colic went away and his little personality is really starting to shine through and it's been so much fun to watch! So here's what Emory is up to at two months old...

Emory on his two month birthday, we got a half smile out of him!

Stats:

At his two month doctor's appointment today, he measured 22'' inches long and weighed 11lbs 4.8oz. Our pediatrician said he was right around the 23rd percentile for weight, and around the 39th percentile for length, and head circumference. Our little man is growing like a weed and is growing perfectly along his growth chart!

Health: Overall, Emory is a very healthy little guy! He still gets gas and sometimes it'll wake him up if he's sleeping, but he no longer cries when he has it so that's been a nice change! He's starting to cough sometimes after feedings, but it's pretty normal and our doctor said his lungs sound perfectly clear and likely due to eating too fast. He's still having lots of wet and dirty diapers each day and seems to be quite the strong little boy!

Momma and Emory (5 weeks old) ready to cheer on the Wolverines!

Likes:Staring at colored/contrasting/hanging objects: We have two books a friend of ours recommended we get, and Emory loves looking at them! You can find them here and here. Emory also loves looking at his mobile on the Mamaroo.This past month he's really enjoyed sitting in the Mamaroo (in the first month the minute we put him down he'd start crying, but he's getting more and more comfortable being on his own) which gives this Mama a chance to get a shower :).

Using his voice: He has been cooing and making all sorts of sounds this month days and it's really fun to hear him discover that he can use his voice for other things besides crying, ha!

Going for walks in the stroller: When we were in Michigan visiting my parents we went for a walk almost every day, and Emory loved it! That fresh air was so great, he would get a nap in during the walks and I loved walking around the house I grew up in with Emory and seeing all the beautiful fall color!

Bath time: We're not bathing him too frequently based on the information we received in the baby care class we took before he was born which said that really frequent baths can dry out a baby's skin easily when they're this young. But when we do give him a bath, he loves it!

Going for a car ride: We turned a corner with the car seat this past month! He loves it when the car is moving, but once the car stops he gets upset. The little man loves motion!

Dislikes:Being hungry, especially when he wakes up after a nap. Falling asleep--he FIGHTS going to sleep, so we spend a lot of time bouncing him on the exercise ball. Sleeping in his bassinet...still.

Wears:He is wearing 0-3 months. As far as diapers, he's still in size 1 right now. Every day I'm amazed at how big he's getting and seeing him fill out--he's getting the cutest little baby chunky legs. I remember when we first brought him home his little legs were so wrinkly because he was so small!

Eats:This month, I haven't needed any breaks from breastfeeding, so about 99% of his feedings are breastmilk straight from the source. I am planning to start pumping and incorporating bottles more so John can be more involved in feeding, but honestly I have enjoyed nursing so much more this month, so it's been nice! I even breastfed in public this past month! Thankfully my mom was there to help (I'm still not entirely comfortable breastfeeding in public), but we'll keep working at it because Emory has to eat and life still goes on!

In Michigan, Emory 7 weeks old

Sleeps:Still a major work in progress. He will nap in his carrier during the day, and this past month I was able to get him to nap in his Rock n Play. He also soothed himself to sleep during our car ride to Michigan and would take naps in the car seat. At night, John and I still haven't gotten into any big bedtime schedule or routine with him yet. We usually keep him in the living room with us until we go up to go to bed (and the time varies from night to night). He typically will have a feeding then we bounce him to sleep while we watch TV, then we take him to bed. We have been trying to get him to sleep in his bassinet, but the minute we put him down he stirs and wakes himself up and starts crying. Emory has been sleeping so well once he's asleep for the night (on us). We've gotten quite a few six hour stretches of sleep this past month, so he'll only nurse 2-3 times a night. I've been doing a lot of side-lying nursing at night, so I barely wake up at all. However, we would like to really try to work on transitioning him to his bassinet this month as we do plan to transition him to his crib down the road. I'm staying optimistic because a few of my mommy friends experienced the same sleep habits with their babies, and he's made such great strides in just this past month, I'm hopeful we can get him to sleep in his bassinet soon.

Favorite Things: I've got a post in the works with our 0-3 month baby favorites, but this month he's been loving his Skip Hop play mat, and although he's not super interested in a pacifier at this point, he's really starting to like his MAAM binkys.

Milestones:-I had my 6 week postpartum appointment with the doctor who delivered him, so it was awesome to see her again! Another milestone: that doctor visit was the first time I took Emory out on my own! The minute we got to the doctor's office, he needed to be changed and was hungry so I breastfed through my entire appointment, exam and all! -He's really started grabbing for my hair more and more, and I'm sure that's only going to get more intense in the months to come. But it's actually pretty sweet when he just gently holds onto it like a security blanket. I foresee me wearing my hair up a LOT more once he gets stronger haha-In addition to this being a month full of smiles, he's also started being able to turn his head when he hears our voice-He's loving his playmat and has started reaching for the animals hanging down above his head and is bat at them. He's also holding onto some of his toys. His favorite is a little doggy toy, maybe John and I will have to get a dog sooner than we thought :)-Despite not doing as much tummy time as we're "supposed" to, he seems like he has really awesome head strength and is starting to hold it up really well on his own. He also loves "standing" on of our laps-He got his first shots at his two month appointment today, and although it was not fun for me to see him cry, he calmed down right away once I started nursing him. Thankfully John was there to help us all get through it :)